During these appearances, O'Keefe would sing his specialty, Johnny Ray's "Cry", while wearing a pair of trick glasses which would squirt water over the audience. O'Keefe took the staid NZ music scene by storm, although he was banned from playing at some halls and faced problems getting airplay. Sydney disc jockey Tony Withers was credited with helping to get radio airplay for the song but writer credits on subsequent versions often omit Withers, who later worked in the United Kingdom on pirate stations Radio Atlanta and, as Tony Windsor, on Radio London. He realised immediately that this was the style of music he wanted to perform, and from this point on he dedicated himself single-mindedly to becoming a rock 'n' roll singer and a star.Although he was perhaps an unlikely candidate for stardom, he pursued it relentlessly for the next two decades and it is a tribute to his tenacity that, in large measure, his dream was achieved: by 1960 he had become the most popular and successful singer in Australia and a major TV star. Share According to Lou Casch, on one occasion, while O'Keefe and the Dee Jays played at an upstairs dance venue in Newtown, an "Italian wedding" reception was also taking place downstairs. At that time the NZBC had a monopoly on radio, they had only one J.O'K. Sing! 1 hit in August 1960 with "Don't You Know"/"Come on And Take My Hand", and the next single, "Ready For You"/"Save The Last Dance For Me", reached No. [citation needed], In January 1961 O'Keefe attempted another tour of the United States, but it was also unsuccessful. 1 hit in August 1961, followed by a third chart-topper, "Sing (And Tell The Blues So Long)" in March 1962, and "I Thank You", which reached No. Price had collapsed on stage a few songs before he was due to finish his performance. [citation needed]. 30, and titles of the two songs seemed, in retrospect, to presage the downturn in O'Keefe's career the A-side, "Rock'n'Roll Will Stand" was backed by a cover of the Shirelles' "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?". Il dbute sa carrire dans les annes 1950. John O'Keefe Biographical Early Years I was born in November 1939 in Harlem, New York to Irish immigrant parents and grew up in the South Bronx. and recording another string of hit records. He realised immediately that this was the style of music he wanted to perform, and from this point on he dedicated himself single-mindedly to becoming a rock 'n' roll singer and a star. Australian rock historian Ian McFarlane succinctly described O'Keefe's qualities in his article on the singer in the Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop:"J.O'K was the first to admit that he was a limited singer, but he possessed an incredible drive, a fierce ambition to succeed, a tireless facility for self-promotion, a tremendous flair for showmanship and a larrikin spirit that was irrepressible.". [35], In January 1973 O'Keefe performed at the second Sunbury Pop Festival. He returned to the US in March 1960 to complete his contract, but after one final session at Goldstar on the 17th of that month which produced 'Don't You Know' and 'Take My Hand', Liberty did not renew his contract and he returned to Australia. The court heard Mr O'Keefe suffered from bipolar disorder and was in a "hypomanic" state during the incident, in which he admitted to spitting, slapping and kicking Dr Lavee. [citation needed]. Peter Cox on the outlandish outfits that defined Australia's rock 'n' roll rebel. That award was presented to him by the the talented Bryan O'Leary, a former pupil of Jimmy's, who was in turn a pupil of Bryan's grandad Johnny O'Leary. Johnny Greenan joined the Dee Jays on tenor saxophone, replacing John Balkin. Up to this point he had performed for free, simply to gain experience, but his first paid engagement as a singer was as a Johnny Ray impersonator, performing on the Bathurst radio station 2BS, for which he was paid 17 plus expenses. Free postage. Some of his hits include "Wild One" (1958), "Shout!" Born 20 Oct 1901 in Narromine, New South Wales, Australia. "O'Keefe was the promoter, singer, bouncer, door attendant, sold the ice creams, mixed the drinks and cleaned the halls, while working during the days at his father's furniture store."[19]. In his twenty-year ca read more. Johnny O'Keefe Net Worth. O'Keefe was the younger brother of Australian jurist Barry O'Keefe (a former head of the New South Wales ICAC). This, together with a serious car smash which required several operations to reconstruct his face, culminated in Johnny's death from a heart attack in October 1978.During his career, J O'K had five number one records and ten other top ten hits. O'Keefe took the staid NZ music scene by storm, although he was banned from playing at some halls[26] and faced problems getting airplay. 2. Dale went into the Army and O'Keefe went into the RAAF. It was this incident, according to Lou Casch, that inspired O'Keefe's signature tune, "Wild One". He was also a keen swimmer, surfer and sailor and often sailed with the Vaucluse Juniors sailing club. In 2021, a clip from the film featuring O'Keefe performing 'Swanee River' was uploaded to youtube. [4] He attended the University of Southern California but left midway through his sophomore year after his father died. Since his death, O'Keefe's stature has continued to grow, and he has been posthumously accorded the recognition he did not receive in his lifetime. [citation needed], In February 1960 O'Keefe returned to the U.S. for a promotional tour, where he was promoted as "The Boomerang Boy", and much to his chagrin, O'Keefe was obliged to give boomerang throwing exhibitions. It became his 29th Australian hit, reaching No. 2 on the singles chart. et She's my Baby [1].Au cours de ses vingt ans de carrire, O'Keefe a sorti plus de cinquante singles, 50 EP et 100 albums. Within a few months the emergence of the new wave of guitar/vocal groups led by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones ushered in a new era in popular music, and their advent signalled the start of a rapid decline in O'Keefe's career. In his twenty-year career, O'Keefe released over fifty singles, 50 EPs and 100 albums. In his twenty-year career, O'Keefe released over fifty singles, 50 EPs and 100 albums. Some of the dance patrons came to blows with wedding guests in the men's toilets, and within minutes the fight had erupted into a full-scale riot that spilled out into the street, with police eventually calling in the Naval Shore Patrol to help restore order. Dale went into the Army and O'Keefe went into the RAAF. [citation needed] These overseas acts in turn inspired a new generation of local 'beat' stars, spearheaded by Bobby & Laurie, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, Ray Brown & The Whispers, Tony Worsley & The Fabulous Blue Jays, Normie Rowe, and The Easybeats, who took the Australian pop scene by storm and (at least in Australia) soon came to rival the popularity of the biggest overseas acts. Johnny O'Keefe-The Wild One's King-Size Hits Vinyl LP 1966 Leedon LL-30,656 MONO AU $69.95 AU $12.00 postage JOHHNY O'KEEFE---BE CAREFUL OF STONES THAT YOU THROW 45 AU $10.00 0 bids AU $3.50 postage 6d 18h Johnny O'Keefe ORIG OZ 45 Ready for you VG+ '60 Lee Gordon LS607 Dee Jays AU $14.90 AU $3.50 postage or Best Offer Trivia (5) Nephew of legendary Australian Rock and Roll singer Johnny O'Keefe. Johnny sings his No 1 Hit Song on the Johnny O'Keefe Show Oct. '61 This became his first hit in March 1958, peaking at #20 on the newly established Sydney Top 40 (at this time there was no national pop chart in Australia). The Legend of The Wild One, with book by John-Michael Howson, David Mitchell and Melvyn Morrow and featuring music made famous by O'Keefe and other hits of the 1950s.A portrait of O'Keefe by Australian artist Ivan Durrant, titled "A Little Bit Louder Now", is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.On Thursday 10 June 2004 a 5 metre tall Monument titled "The Wild One", created by sculptor Dr. Alex Sandor Kolozsy CDVA, was unveiled at the Coolangatta/Tweed Heads, Twin Towns Services Club in memory of the King of Australian Rock and Roll.In October 2010, his 1958 album, Wild One, was listed in the top 40 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums. Although it was claimed that it was recorded live at the Stadium, it was in fact a studio recording, overdubbed with the sound of a real Stadium audience.O'Keefe issued three more singles during 1958: "Over The Mountain" b/w Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "So Tough" b/w That'll Be Alright" (a cover of The Cuff Links song which reached #12 in Sydney) and "I Ain't Gonna Do It" b/w Could This Be Magic? Impressed, O'Keefe offered him the job and handed him a pile of records, saying "Here, learn these. Johnny O'Keefe's income source is mostly from being a successful Soundtrack. O'Keefe's last public appearance was on Seven Network's Sounds program, taped on 30 September 1978. Johnny O'Keefe first met Bill Haley during his tour in 1957 in Australia. John Michael O'Keefe (19 January 1935 6 October 1978) was an Australian rock and roll singer whose career began in the 1950s. She Wears My Ring 6. [citation needed], It was around this time that O'Keefe finally parted ways with his backing group the Dee Jays, as he devoted more and more time to TV. O'Keefe and the Dee Jays quickly attracted a strong local following. One of the biggest personal blows O'Keefe suffered albeit one for which he was primarily responsible was the breakdown of his marriage and the bitter 1966 divorce from his long-suffering wife Marianne, whom he had married in 1958, which resulted in him being denied access to their three children.During 1969 O'Keefe toured Vietnam to entertain Australian troops stationed there. About 20 kilometres north of Kempsey O'Keefe fell asleep at the wheel of the Plymouth and ploughed into a gravel truck. Artist descriptions on Last.fm are editable by everyone. 1933). 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